Atletico Madrid Must Resist Chelsea Transfer Raid If They Want La Liga Success
Rojiblancos beware!
Chelsea are on the prowl once more in Atletico Madrid waters, and they are after Antoine Griezmann, Diego Godin and Koke. Oh, and manager Diego Simeone too.
F.J. Diaz reported the news in Spanish newspaper AS, explaining that the club have offered the targeted players new, improved contracts.
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He wrote:
"The players being watched by the Premier League champions are key ones for Simeone: Diego Godin, Koke and Antoine Griezmann. However, Atletico have moved to ward off Chelsea's interest—and that of other European clubs—by offering the players improved contracts, with pay rises and a significant increase in their buy-out clauses. Godin and Koke have signed on until 2019 and Griezmann until 2020.
Meanwhile, Roman Abramovich is reportedly interested in acquiring the services of Simeone. UK reports have stated that Chelsea are prepared to pay the 20 million euros it would cost to release Simeone from his contract at the Calderon in the case that José Mourinho ceases to manage at Stamford Bridge.
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It wouldn't be the first time the Blues have sneaked off down the Manzanares with Atletico players in tow. And what happened last time should be a cautionary tale.
After Atletico won La Liga in 2014 and reached the Champions League final, Chelsea watched on with envious eyes. They decided to strike while the iron was hot, snatching Diego Costa and Filipe Luis from the Spanish side, as well as recalling Thibaut Courtois from his loan spell at the Vicente Calderon Stadium.
Chelsea also attempted to persuade Tiago to rejoin them, but the veteran, 34, eventually stayed with Simeone's team.
Of course, Atletico had little option but to accept Chelsea's bids for these players, but now their financial situation has improved.
And in the following season, Atletico struggled. They didn't do awfully, but were nowhere near to matching the joys of the year before.
Mario Mandzukic took time to settle and was eventually moved on, while Guilherme Siqueira wasn't a great option at left-back and eventually they took Luis back from Chelsea.
Atletico were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals and finished third, 14 points behind Real and 16 behind Barcelona. Historically, that would not be a bad classification for them, but we know Simeone and his team are capable of more.
As reported by Diaz, the club are already trying to ensure these three players stay, which is clearly the right move. Losing them would be losing both the present and the future of the team.
Godin, 29, is a key member of the back-line and an inspirational figure, one that 20-year-old centre-back Jose Gimenez is learning from too.
Griezmann, 24, and Koke, who is a year younger, are both essential now and will continue to be so over the next decade, for however long they stay.
While you could imagine the former moving on, the latter might be convinced to stay with his boyhood club, in the city he was born in, under the right conditions.
Atletico are equipped for a title charge this season.
They reinforced heavily in the summer but kept enough of their core to play well from the start of this campaign while the new faces bed in.
Losing any of that trio of players, not to mention the man holding it all together, Simeone, would be a brutal blow and severely dent their title ambitions.
And with neither of Madrid or Barcelona on top of La Liga at this point in time, no, that's Villarreal, it's clear that the league is open and ready for someone to take control.
Provided they ward off Chelsea's advances—and given Real Madrid and Barcelona's injuries—there's no reason why that can't be Atletico.
